Case examples

People who are surviving the trauma of crime may have many legal issues resulting from the crime that can’t be solved in the criminal court.

These stories show the kinds of situations where CLAVC can help. While they are realistic examples, they are not the specific stories of actual people.

Dottie’s husband was very controlling and abusive. Although they lived together in a subsidized apartment with their 2 small children, he refused to add her to their lease. He was arrested after badly assaulting Dottie, and was given a prison sentence of 1 year. The landlord is now evicting Dottie and her children because she is not on the lease. She also needs help getting a divorce and related orders.

Darrel’s wallet was stolen and he lost his driver’s license and credit card. Someone opened credit cards in his name and ran up thousands of dollars in bills. Now, he is being contacted by credit card collectors at all hours of the day and night who are threatening to take him to court. He needs help getting this harassment stopped.

Nguyen was badly injured in a home invasion. He has been prescribed a service dog to help him with tasks that he can no longer do as a result of the disability that he now suffers from as a result of his injuries. He is trying to move to a group home, but the home will not allow him to bring his service dog. He needs help getting the group home to accommodate his disability.

Anita was brought to the United States on a temporary work visa, by a company that arranged for her to work in a restaurant. Once here, the company confiscated her passport and would not return it. She was forced to work 12 hours per day, and virtually all of her wages were kept by the company for “room and board.” She was finally able to make contact with family in Massachusetts, and to escape the restaurant. She needs help resolving her immigration issues, and also with getting her back wages.

Janine has been acting out in school, and is now facing a disciplinary hearing. It turns out that other students have been bullying her for some time, through social media and in person. She is now at risk of expulsion and needs help at the hearing.

Taylor, a single parent, was a victim of sexual assault. The resulting trauma has left Taylor unable to work and unable to support the children. Taylor needs immediate help to get SNAP and other benefits for the family and to explore whether a claim for social security disability can be filed.